The present invention relates to memory storage discs which rotate adjacent to contamination sources such as mechanical components. In particular, the present invention relates to an air baffle or shield positioned between a rotating memory storage disc and an actuator assembly so that air flow from the disc through the actuator assembly is blocked to prevent contaminants from the actuator assembly from being deposited upon the disc.
Disc drives are commonly used with computers to store data on concentric tracks defined in magnetic coatings formed on magnetic discs. The discs are attached to a rotating spindle which is powered by a spindle motor. Data is written to and read from selected tracks on a disc by a read/write transducer head. A pivotally mounted actuator supports the transducer head and moves the transducer head across the disc when the head is reading from or writing to the disc. The pivotally mounted actuator is located in an area adjacent the magnetic disc and pivots upon an actuator bearing. The actuator includes a magnetic pole piece and an actuator coil or solenoid. Upon supply of current to the actuator coil, the flux coupling between the actuator coil and the magnetic pole piece results in movement of the transducer head across the disc in response to the applied current to the actuator coil. As a result, the head accesses data stored on the disc.
The actuator further includes a latch which supports the actuator and the transducer head in place when the disc is not being accessed by the head. Typically, a casting surrounds the magnetic disc, the spindle, and the actuator area.
As a spindle rotates the magnetic disc at a high speed varying between 3600 to 5400 rpm, air movement adjacent a surface of the magnetic disc is accelerated to create a disc "wind". The air movement or wind flows into the area of the disc drive containing the actuator. At the same time, air is drawn from the actuator area.